The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-28
A COIL OF WIRE.
How 1t Il Made From What Is Technically
known as a SIoofn.

How 1t Is Made From What is Technically
known as = Bloom.
How are large cakes or Jumps OF
steel made into fine wire? The process
Is interesting. HOY do the steel blooms
become finely polished wire? The
manufacture is peculiar. The bloom,
as we follow il in the wire factory. Is
first cut into billets some twenty inches
long and four inches square. These
are brought red-hOt from the furnaces
and slipped between the rolls. In a
moment the billet of steel becomes
stout, fbery serpent. A man at the
opposite side of the furnace nips it
around the neck with his tongs, and
slips its head between the next and
smaller pair of rolls, so that before the
tail of the red serpent has emerged
from between the larger rolls, the head
mas been squeezed to smaller dimen-
sions in the second rolls. The same
process is repeated again after the
rod hat passed through the sec
Ond n Il, wOrkmen being ready
to seize the serpent, twist his
body around and let its head he caught
by the third roll. Thus it is passed on,
each time becoming longer and thinner.
and the billet, after passing through
eighteen rolls. becomes wire rod. As
the rod passes through the last roll it is
conveyed through pipe three inches
in circumference. As it wriggles out
of the pipe in twisted form it is thrown
across the iron floor Of the factory or
wire mill. The rolls are kept con-
SANITY at work. for one rod has no
sooner passed through the first roll
than another enters it. and as the rod
grows in length one end may be pass
ing out across the floor while the other
is half dozen rolls in the rear. THUS
it twists its dull-red, thread-like length
like serpent in and out of the rolls,
often near the ankles of the wOE kmen
ready with their tongs to guide it on
ward in its devious wildmgs. When
the rod is at last spun out upon the
floor, the end is taken up and twisted
upon Il reel, viii ch rapidly winds i.
into a coil.
Alter the rods leave the "bIooming
mill they are taken to the "wire mill, :"
where they are hing ground wooden
blocks, perhaps half a dozen coils on
each block. which are lowered into
huge tubs Of sulphuric acid. and al
lowed To remain there until the acid
has removed the impurities from the
surface. The blocks are then raised by
Il pulley, and the rods are thrown upon
the floor and washed with the hose
Having been loaded on trucks and
dried, one end of each rod is pointed by
revolving machine SO as to pass into
the die which is to draw the rods into
wire. Having been removed to the
wire blocks, the rods are then drawn
by being passed through Il tapering
hole in steel die.
The steel rod, having thus been
transformed into wire, is taken TO the
5nnealing furnace. where il is annealed
and polished by secret process. The
wire, which has hitherto been of a dull
brown color, is given bright polish by
the annealing. and the cleaning which
1t afterward receives. Having oeen re-
moved to the galvanizing house the
wire is run over series of wheels and
slides which stretch it from the floor
horizontally, and, working auto
,matically. dips the wire in lime every
time it reaches the floor. In galvan-
izing the process consists of the wire
passing through Il solution of muriatic
acid and gravel, next through a driving
furnace. and afterwards through metal
bath of zinc. The wire next passes
.wiping box" filled with mineral wool
which is agitated by number of roll
ers. This substance wipes OF the sur
plus zinc and bestows upon the wire Il
smooth surface. The long line of wire,
which now has bright, silvery APP
pearance, is then bundled up IN reels
ready for the market, each reel weigh
ing about one hundred pounds.-Pst.S-
6urgh Cor. Wheeling Register.